UN reports possible crimes against humanity in Syrian crackdown

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UN reports possible crimes against humanity in Syrian crackdown

2011-08-19 05:14:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The government's use of violence against protesters in Syria may amount to crimes against humanity, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report released on Thursday.

The Report of the Fact-finding Mission on Syria, requested by the UN Human Rights Council, also recommended the UN Security Council to call for an immediate cessation of attacks against the civilian population and consider referring the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The UN mission found "a pattern of human rights violations that constitutes widespread or systematic attacks against the civilian population, which may amount to crimes against humanity," stated the report, which investigated events in Syria from March 15 to July 15.

As the UN mission, headed by Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang, did not have access to Syria, the findings in the report were primarily based on the analysis of information obtained from victims and witnesses.

The witness accounts described the disproportionate use of force by Syrian military and security forces, including acts of torture and other examples of inhuman and degrading treatment. There were reports some wounded civilians were killed by putting them in refrigerators in hospital morgues.

"A clear widespread or systematic policy appears to have been in place whereby security forces targeted people suspected of having taken part in demonstrations, with a view to intimidating and terrorizing them as a way of quelling protests," Kang stated.

Kang further said that reports from witnesses indicate that civilians were killed by using forces on the ground, snipers on rooftops and air power. Also, most of the victims' bullet wounds were in the head, chest and general upper body area, which is consistent with an apparent shoot-to-kill policy.

Former soldiers of the Syrian security forces were also interviewed. They stated to have received clear orders to use live ammunition against protesters, "and those who did not shoot civilians were shot from behind by other security officers and Shabbiha [an Alawite civilian militia] units."

Kang voiced deep concern about information that children have also been targeted by security forces and subjected to the same human rights violations as adults, including torture.

Based on the findings of the mission, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay recalled the principle agreed in 2005 by all UN Member States, by which each State has the responsibility to protect its populations from crimes against humanity and other international crimes.

"When a State is manifestly failing to protect its population from serious international crimes, the international community has the responsibility to step in by taking protective action in a collective, timely and decisive manner," stated the UN report.

The High Commissioner also urged Syria to immediately put an end to the human rights violations and allow immediate access for humanitarian workers to assist those in need and for OHCHR to conduct investigations into all abuses.

On Wednesday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made the same appeal in a phone conversation with President Bashar al-Assad, during which the UN chief expressed appreciation that the Government had agreed to receive a UN humanitarian assessment mission and was assured that it would have access to different sites in the country.

The UN Human Rights Council will hold a second special session on the situation of human rights in Syria on Monday.

At least 2,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested since pro-democracy demonstrations began in Syria in mid-March as part of a broader uprising across North Africa and the Middle East that has led to the toppling of entrenched regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and conflict in Libya.

The Syrian government has repeatedly claimed that the violent acts have been instigated by terrorists who use military uniforms and weaponry to pose as soldiers while attacking citizens, but these claims have been rejected by residents, human rights groups, and the international community.

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